By Michael Brosowski, Founder, Blue Dragon Children’s Charity –
A massive storm hit and quickly passed, leaving a trail of devastation. But as the calm settled in, the real destruction began.
It was meant to be a week of celebration.
Around the world, over 1,000 people took part in the Blue Dragon Walk. But not in Hanoi, where a typhoon the day before damaged the park where our event was planned, or in other cities affected by the rain.
Despite the ferocity of Typhoon Yagi, it seemed that its impact was limited.
In coastal areas of Vietnam, there was serious damage to property. But once the storm had passed, everyone was hopeful we could quickly repair and move on.
We were wrong.
A Hanoi park immediately after the typhoon
The extent of Yagi and the heaviness of the rain meant that whole provinces of northern Vietnam were saturated.
Within two days, rivers started to rise well above their normal levels. And then landslides started in the mountains.
From being relieved in a moment of calm, Vietnam went into full disaster mode.
As of writing this blog, over 260 people have died and scores more are missing.
Tens of thousands have lost their homes. By far, most are people already living in poverty.
Houses totally swamped by rivers or crushed by dirt.
A house in the northern mountains, devastated by a landslide
One village was completely wiped out by a landslide, killing 46 people.
Bridges and roads have been washed away.
At one point, Blue Dragon had to evacuate our Hanoi building, which serves as both our children’s centre and our organisational headquarters, because of fear of flooding.
Delivering supplies to families while the flood waters are still high
There’s an old saying: When it rains, it pours.
Usually we say this with pessimism. When something goes wrong, it goes wrong in a big way.
And Yagi is a good example of that.
Homes in the aftermath of flooding
But the opposite also holds true. When things go well, they go well in a big way.
The response to this catastrophe is an outpouring of love and practical assistance.
Around the globe, people have been donating to Blue Dragon and to other great charities as well. The response has been rapid and many donations come in with a message of care and support.
People, schools and companies in Hanoi have been turning up to Blue Dragon with truck loads of supplies: food, water, clothing. All of it is going straight out to people who need it.
Getting supplies to a family
And on the ground, community members have been pitching in to help clean up as soon as it was safe.
Over the weekend, groups of both Vietnamese people and expatriates rose up and went out cleaning up the city.
Armies of student volunteers have traveled to locations where they’re needed most.
The cleanup begins
Everyone is doing their bit.
This is not to say that there’s a silver lining. There’s not. This is a terrible time and the hurt among so many people is still very raw.
But in the darkness, we still see the goodness of humanity. And that’s what keeps us going.
First published on Life is a Long Story on 15 September, 2024
More stories and info about Typhoon Yagi:
The Blue Dragon Emergency Appeal (please donate!)
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